August 30, 2018

D.Va from Overwatch becomes symbol for Women’s March, feminist groups

D.Va is a female character from the online multiplayer game Overwatch. She’s of Korean decent and is considered to be the top gamer in the game’s fictional world. Image: Blizzard

Women’s Marches have become the thing for protesting against U.S. President Trump’s stance on women’s rights, as well as other issues in the U.S. and around the world. However, in Seoul, a popular game character has be conscripted to symbolize these movements. She’s none other than Korean pro gamer-girl and MEKA riding Overwatch superstar, D.Va.

RocketNews24 reports that a group calling themselves “For D.Va (The National D.Va Association)” have appropriated the game character as their symbol.

Their official website describes the origin of this group as such:

“For D.Va (National D.Va Association) first started off as a feminist gamer group, gathered to voice our opinions about (currently suspended) President Park Geun Hye. After the President’s suspension, we decided not to disperse, but to keep fighting for gender equality.”

Image Twitter/@OverwatchGG

The group’s website further explains that they chose D.Va as their mascot because she was a Korean woman who thrived as a professional gamer. D.Va’s status in the fictional world of Overwatch was alluded to the case of Geguri, a female Korean pro gamer accused of using hacks. She was accused as such because it was deemed impossible for a woman to be so proficient in playing games.

Image: National D.Va Assoctiation official website

While the group’s reasoning is sound, it would take some time before a predominantly male environment, like the gaming world, would change enough to allow for the emergence of a D.Va-like individual. We do hope she’s just as cute.

Apart from that, the usage of D.Va as a symbol for a formal organization would technically be infringing on copyright laws. If Blizzard was gung-ho enough to call for the take down of Overwatch-related porn on porn sites, what’s to say that they won’t take action for something as visible as a feminist group? Alfred Bayle

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